The invention relates to a gas hearth including a combustion chamber, a gas supplier for supplying combustible gas into the combustion chamber to a firebed-simulator positioned in the combustion chamber, an ignitor for igniting the combustible gas in the combustion chamber and a flue-gas discharge duct connected to the combustion chamber for discharging combustion flue gases from the combustion chamber.
Various types of hearths, in particular decorative hearths, are known and can be used as built-in hearths or as hearth stoves. Such decorative hearths are suitable for burning gas, wood or other natural fuels. A decorative hearth which is known from, for example, from EP1659340A2, tries to produce a fire image which is as realistic as possible and is characterized by firebed-simulating means which are made up as imitation logs which are provided with lighting elements.
The lighting elements which are present in the imitation logs emit light which gives the impression that the imitation log is burning. However, such decorative hearths in which the fire image is only based on lighting elements do not give a realistic impression of a fire.
Other decorative hearths are known, wherein firebed-simulating means in the form of imitation logs positioned over a real firebed have been placed in the combustion chamber. This firebed is produced by means of gas supply means which extend into the combustion chamber and by means of which gas along and around the imitation logs is ignited. This creates the impression as if the imitation logs are actually burning. The combustible flue gases are then discharged via a flue-gas discharge duct which is connected to the combustion chamber.
However, the problem associated with these gas hearths is that a relatively high supply of gas is required to achieve a firebed or flame bed which is sufficiently large as to create a realistic impression of a fire. As a result thereof, a significant amount of heat and energy is lost. Since the primary aim of a decorative hearth is to imitate a firebed and thereby to create an impression of a fire, producing heat is a secondary aim, thus it is desirable for a gas hearth to have a gas and energy consumption which is as minimal as possible.